Rs8bn plan in place to strengthen Levies Force

Move to make law-enforcement agency more capable of meeting security challenges

Updated 12 September 2018

Naimat Khan

September 12, 2018 15:40

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KARACHI: As part of its measures to reorganize and strengthen the Levies Force, the government of Balochistan on Wednesday approved a Rs8 billion plan towards the restructuring of its law-enforcement agency.

According to Buledi, the restructuring plan will be completed in four phases for which the provincial government will seek help from Islamabad. “The federal government will be requested to induct 2,000 new personnel,” Buledi said.

“Balochistan Levies’ improvement and betterment shall be done to bring them at par with police and other authorities,” Alyani tweeted after the meeting.

Currently, around 38,000 police personnel control the law and order situation in less than 10 percent of the province, whereas more than 23,000 Levies’ personnel are responsible for the rest of Balochistan -- specifically the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), with “as many as 13,227 out of 23,132 personnel having obtained training.”

Balochistan is Pakistan’s smallest province in terms of population, but largest in terms of land, spread across an area of 347,190 square kilometers.

Who are the Levies?

“The Levies Force was established by the British Raj, keeping in view the tribal culture and regional dynamics of Balochistan,” Syed Ali Shah, a Quetta-based journalist covering security issues, told Arab News.

The force also assists other agencies in anti-smuggling raids and is responsible for the protection of the Pak-Afghan border, with recovery of land revenue, agriculture tax and all kinds of loans among its other tasks. It has jurisdiction in all districts and is headed by a director-general. It comprises locally-sourced security personnel, specifically from the Baloch and Pashtun communities. The areas controlled by the Levies Force are called B-areas whereas those managed by the police are called A-areas.

Adding that they continue to be relevant “to cope with unfolding security challenges” and because police personnel deployed from other districts “hardly know the local dynamics and are less effective as compared to the Levies”, Shah said: “We have a strong tribal setup and only the Levies can effectively work as they know who is how and what is what. The crime ratio in B-areas is far low as compared to A-areas where the police operate.”

However, not all consider the development necessary, questioning why the Levies Force “shouldn’t be merged with police for uniformity and better results”.

“If the government is spending Rs8billion on training and development of the Levies …why don’t we make a unified police system for better results?” Dr Muhammad Shoaib Suddle, former Inspector General of Police Balochistan, asked.

Suddle holds a rich portfolio of heading different organizations, dealing with issues of crime and militancy, and had initiated the process of merging the Levies Force with the police in 2004, when he was police chief. He reasoned that the old British system of the Levies Force or tribal police was in place as it was cheaper at the time.

“We started with Nasirabad, the district of the-then Prime Minister Mir Zafrullah Khan Jamali and Labela a district of the-then chief minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousaf, who was the father of incumbent CM Balochistan,” Suddle said, adding that the merger was completed by his successors by 2007 at a cost of Rs10 billion but reserved by 2010 due to political interests.

Ruing the lack of a merit system in the Levies Force, whereby “if a father dies, his son can take up his charge”, Suddle said that the cost of maintain the force is borne by the provincial government as it’s controlled by Balochistan. “If other provinces have a uniformed force then why shouldn’t be there a single uniformed system of policing in Balochistan?” he said.

Echoing Prime Minister Imran Khan’s thoughts that no system of policing can be successful until it is depoliticized, Suddle said that the concept of the Levies Force “suits political forces as it’s more open to political interference”.

“Several new challenges have emerged over the years. When you have more than one law enforcing system, ensuring coordination becomes difficult,” Suddle said.

According to Balochistan’s home and tribal affairs department, the Levies Force is responsible for the maintenance of law and order in "B" area, execution and service of summons and warrants, manning of judicial lock ups, patrolling in "B" area including highways, protection of vital installations, railways tracks, bridges and culverts, buildings and railways, security of foreign expectorates and delegations in "B" area of the province and the maintenance of law and order in Afghan refugees camps.

Pakistan ready to respond to a full spectrum threat — army spokesman

Prepared to counter any attack from Indian security forces

Warns New Delhi against action; says Islamabad “would surprise you”

Updated 36 min 4 sec ago

Sib Kaifee

February 22, 2019 18:02

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan army spokesman Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor warned India on Friday against any military action, saying that should New Delhi “show any aggression,” it would be Islamabad that would “surprise you”.
He added in the same breath that “we do not wish to go to war”.
In his statement — which was in response to growing threats from its nuclear-armed neighbor — the spokesperson said that Islamabad was prepared to respond to a “full spectrum threat” without enabling its nuclear capability.
“Pakistan is not preparing for war. War and revenge threats are coming from you. We are a sovereign state and hold the right to respond to your threats. We are not preparing to initiate, but response and defense is our right and we will exercise that,” he said, adding that he hoped India “got the message”.
Ghafoor said Islamabad delayed its response to the Pulwama attack to investigate New Delhi’s baseless claims of state-sponsored terrorism to ascertain the veracity of the allegations, following which Prime Minister Imran Khan responded in a televised address to the nation on Tuesday wherein he rejected the assertion and warned New Delhi of retaliation if attacked.
He said that Khan has offered to assist India in investigating the attack if it can back its claims and would take strict measures against the person who is “an enemy of Pakistan”, an offer Ghafoor said has been given before as well. He added that “terrorism is a regional problem and Pakistan is willing to table talks with India on the matter”.
Ghafoor made the comments at a press briefing which came a week after a deadly suicide attack in the Pulwama district of Indian-administered Kashmir. The attack killed more than 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel and left scores injured.
Listing terror incidents of the past in India or Indian-administered Kashmir, Ghafoor said there is a pattern of occurrences of this nature adding that “when an important event for Pakistan is scheduled to happen, this type of stage action arises”.
The brazen bombing came before eight very important engagements for Pakistan, Ghafoor explained connecting India’s previous attempts to paint Pakistan as the sponsor of terrorism, hold its western neighbor responsible and push it toward diplomatic isolation.
“Saudi Crown Prince was due in Pakistan to hold a (historic) investment conference, talks on terror listing at United Nations Security Council was scheduled, development on Afghan peace reconciliation process was underway, discussions on human rights violations in Indian-administered Kashmir at the European Union was due, the decisive hearing of (Indian spy) Kulbushan Jhadav case at the world court, a discussion on Financial Action Task Force was to take place for a decision on Pakistan, both sides (India and Pakistan) were to hold a meeting on the Kartarpur border crossing development, and Pakistan super league cricket matches [in which foreign players are participating] had begun,” he said.
The military spokesman questioned how cross border infiltration could have happened when the number of Indian security forces is larger than the population of Kashmiris. “India should ask its forces which have been there for seven decades and spent a huge quantum on defense, how infiltration occurred?” he said.
“The attack happened miles from the Line of Control (LoC), the explosives used were under use by Indian security forces and administration – it didn’t come from Pakistan. The vehicle used was local, not from Pakistan. The attack [was carried out ] by the young Kashmiri, who was resident of Indian-administered Kashmir,” Ghafoor said.
He added that Pakistan is the only country in the world that has not let terrorism take control of its narrative and has given ample sacrifices to counter it. He cited the example of Islamabad helping other nations eliminate Al Qaeda from Afghanistan.
Kashmir, he said, is the biggest issue of the region and offered India to resume talks on the matter. Being the world’s largest democracy, India needs “introspection” on the Kashmir issue and two democracies can’t afford war, he said.